J 


Arbor  and  Bird  Days 


ILLINOIS 


19  2  4 


ILLINOIS 


Arbor  and  Bird  Days 


Friday,  April  Eighteenth 
Friday,  October  Twenty-fourth 


CIRCULAR  NO.  183 


Compiled  by 

H.  T.  SWIFT 


Issued  by 


FRANCIS  G.  BLAIR 


Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 


1924 


[Printed  by  authority  of  the  State  of  Illinois.] 


A  breath  of  beauty 


1%  %  (Smterttnr  nf  Slltttota 

A  flmlauiatinn 


To  tlic  People  of  Illinois,  Greeting : 

It  is  a  welcome  duty  of  the  Executive,  in  compliance  with  our  laws,  to 
designate  each  year  certain  days  in  the  Spring  and  Fall  to  be  observed 
throughout  the  State  of  Illinois  as  Arbor  and  Bird  Days. 

Farming  is  the  basic  industry,  the  business  of  prime  importance  to 
everyone  of  us,  and  therefore  the  improvement  of  the  land,  the  protection 
of  growing  crops  and  the  fostering  of  tree  growth  are  matters  which  concern 
us  all.  No  farm  should  be  without  its  wood  lot,  and  the  planting  of  trees 
on  patches  of  land  which  are  not  adapted  to  agriculture  will  add  to  the 
attractiveness  of  the  farmstead  and  also  yield  a  handsome  financial  return 
from  the  lumber  which  will  ultimately  be  produced. 

Man’s  most  efficient  allies  in  the  protection  of  plant  life  are  the  birds 
of  the  air,  and  every  inducement  should  be  given  them  to  nest  and  rear  their 
young  and  every  necessary  step  taken  to  protect  them. 

The  wonderful  hard-surfaced  State  roads,  which  are  being  rapidly  pushed 
into  every  county,  besides  drawing  together  urban  and  rural  communities, 
invite  each  year  thousands  of  visitors  to  Illinois.  Thus  the  fame  of  Illinois’ 
attractive  countryside  is  spread  far  and  wide,  and  our  constant  effort  should 
be  directed  toward  maintaining  its  attractiveness  and  augmenting  its  natural 
beauties. 

Now,  Therefore,  I,  Len.  Small,  Governor  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  by 
virtue  of  the  power  in  me  vested  by  the  statutes  do  hereby  designate  Friday, 
April  the  18th  and  Friday,  October  the  24th,  of  the  present  year,  as 


ARBOR  AND  BIRD  DAYS, 


and  I  request  that  appropriate  exercises  be  held  throughout  the  State  in 
public  schools  and  elsewhere,  and  that  our  people,  and  especially  those  of 
school  age,  become  interested  and  receive  instruction  in  the  propagation 
and  care  of  tree  and  plant  life  and  in  the  protection  of  the  native  song  and 
game  birds  of  Illinois. 

In  Witness  V/hei:eof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  caused  the 
Great  Seal  of  the  State  of  Illinois  to  be  affixed. 


DONE  AT  THE  CAPITOL  IN  THE  CITY  OF 
SPRINGFIELD  THIS  EIGHTEENTH  DAY 
OF  FEBRUARY,  IN  THE  YEAR  OF  OUR 
LORD  ONE  THOUSAND  NINE  HUNDRED 
AND  TWENTY-FOUR  AND  OF  THE  STATE 
OF  ILLINOIS  THE  ONE  HUNDRED  AND 
SIXTH. 


By  the  Governor: 


Secretary  of  State 


“Cjap  you  plant  a  tree?” 


To  Teachers  and  Pupils: 


Not  everyone  can  write  a  book,  or  sing  a  song,  or  preach  a  ser¬ 
mon.  Very  few  can  paint  a  picture,  carve  a  statue,  or  build  a  cathedral. 
These  creative  immortalizing  gifts  come  only  to  rare  personalities.  It 
is,  however,  within  the  power  of  everyone  to  create  something  and 
thereby  share  the  feelings  which  rejoice  the  hearts  of  those  who  give 
form  to  living  things  of  beauty  and  loveliness. 

Can  you  plant  a  seed  and  work  with  sun  and  soil  and  season  to 
bring  it  into  bloom?  If  so,  you  will  feel  the  stir  of  creating  joy  within 
you.  Can  you  plant  a  tree  and  watch  and  help  it  as  from  year  to  year 
it  reaches  its  roots  into  the  earth  and  its  branches  into  the  sky,  to  be 
the  haven  of  birds  and  the  comfort  and  pleasure  of  men  for  a  hundred 
years?  If  so,  you  have  achieved  through  such  an  act  something  of  the 
earthly  immortality  that  great  souls  have  fought  and  died  for. 

Moreover  as  these  living  things  grow  and  develop  under  our 
care,  we  shall  feel  the  ennobling  pulse  beats  of  a  newer  life  and  a 
newer  beauty  within  us.  What  we  do  unto  them  we  do  unto  our¬ 
selves. 

Can  we  perform  a  more  educative  worth-while  thing,  can  we 
exhibit  in  any  other  way  a  truer  service  of  good  citizenship  than  by 
planting  a  tree?  Arbor  Day  brings  us  the  occasion  and  the  sugges¬ 
tion.  What  shall  be  done  with  it  remains  with  the  teachers  and  pupils. 


Group  of  oaks  in  a  small  city  park.  The  oak  tree  is  a  long-lived  trpe 
§nd  lends  dignity  and  sturdiness  to  the  landscape  picture, 


THE  VALUE  OF  TREES  FOR  THE  HOME  GROUNDS 

Joseph  Cullen  Blair,  Professor  of  Horticulture  and  Landscape 

Gardening,  University  of  Illinois. 

Trees  are  of  great  importance  to  civilization.  From  earliest  times 
trees  have  exercised  great  influence  upon  the  universe  by  being  more 
closely  in  touch  with  humanity  than  other  living  elements  in  the  land¬ 
scape.  They  have  been  held  as  sacred  objects,  and  worshipped  as  the 
abiding  places  of  supernatural  spirits.  This  inherent  reverence  for  the 
trees  has  lived  throughout  the  ages,  and  is  evidenced  today  by  the 
Arbor  Days  and  Memorial  Days  set  aside  by  various  states  for  the 
planting  of  trees. 

Man  looks  to  trees  not  only  for  the  wood  or  the  fruit  and  nut 
supply,  but,  also,  for  the  comfort  their  shade  brings  during  the  hot 
summer  months,  and  the  shelter  afforded  throughout  the  stormy  win¬ 
ter  days.  Trees  are  useful  for  many  other  reasons.  They  may  act  as 
screens  for  unsightly  objects,  or  windbreaks.  They  may  serve  as  a 
pleasing  background  for  landscape  pictures,  and  as  frames  for  build¬ 
ings  or  open  vistas.  They  increase  the  humidity  of  the  air  by  exhaling 
moisture.  Their  varying  forms  and  shades  of  color  give  satisfaction 
to  the  aesthetic  feelings  of  man.  Because  of  their  permanency,  dig¬ 
nity,  strength,  and  gracefulness,  trees  are  the  most  important  and  in¬ 
dispensable  of  landscape  materials. 

There  are  two  ways  of  knowing  and  appreciating  trees.  The  first 
way  is  through  human  feeling  and  sympathy,  whereby  the  tree  becomes 
a  part  of  one’s  self,  like  the  sunshine.  To  the  lover  of  nature  all 
trees  are  charming,  awakening  his  thoughts  and  quickening  his  sensi¬ 
bilities.  To  him  any' tree  is  beautiful,  no  matter  how  misshapen  it  may 
be,  for  it  is  a  living  thing  with  the  symmetry  of  life,  and  possesses 
color,  texture,  form,  and  perfume.  Then,  there  is  the  second  way  of 
knowing  trees,  whereby  every  detail  of  the  individual  tree  is  carefully 
scrutinized  and  studied.  The  habits,  conditions  of  growth,  the  leaf, 
woody  tissue,  every  portion  and  every  characteristic  is  an  object  of 
study.  Happy  and  successful  is  the  landscape  architect,  or  the  ama¬ 
teur  gardener,  who  can  employ  this  human  feeling  together  with  the 
analytical  attitude. 

The  Background  of  the  Picture 

Just  as  the  style  of  architecture  determines,  to  a  great  extent,  the 
type  of  landscape  treatment  to  be  used,  so  the  size  of  the  lawn  deter¬ 
mines  the  kind  and  number  of  trees  to  be  planted.  The  lawn  is  the 
background,  or  the  canvas,  upon  which  the  picture  is  to  be  painted. 
To  ignore  it  means  a  misfit  planting  scheme  and  mediocrity  of  design. 

Whatever  the  extent  of  the  lawn  the  qualities  are  the  same,  and 
its  value  is  dependent  upon  its  character  and  manner  of  upkeep.  Be¬ 
cause  of  the  economic  and  aesthetic  importance  attached  to  the  lawn, 
it  should  be  beautiful  as  well  as  useful.  The  contour  of  the  ground, 
the  color  and  texture  and  uniformity  of  the  grass,  and  the  appropriate¬ 
ness  of  the  ornamental  plantings  determine  its  beauty.  The  use  of  the 
lawn  is  to  provide  a  suitable  setting  for  the  buildings  and  ornamental 
plantings. 


8 


The  dominant  note  should  always  be  the  house  in  any  well  planted  grounds. 


9 


A  well  planted  yard. 


10 


Where  only  a  small  area  of  land  is  available  for  the  lawn,  the 
ground  should  be  gently  sloping  which,  together  with  the  preservation 
of  open  spaces  obtained  by  the  use  of  trees  and  shrubs  in  borders  or 
margins,  and  an  even  and  luxuriant  greensward,  tends  to  give  the 
impression  of  increased  area.  On  small  lots  a  single  large  tree 
with  a  few  smaller  trees  or  high  shrubs  properly  placed  will  not 
only  enhance  the  beauty  of  the  place  by  giving  the  feeling  of 
extent,  but  will,  also,  afford  the  necessary  shelter  and  shade,  and 
add  color  to  the  picture.  The  larger  spaces  allow  for,  and  usually 
demand,  large  trees  and  a  greater  variety  of  plant  materials.  The  size 
to  which  different  trees  will  grow,  however,  must  be  taken  into  con¬ 
sideration  when  the  lawn  is  planned,  although  growth  varies  greatly 
with  the  condition  of  the  soil.  I  have  known  elm  trees  in  central 


Beautiful  park-like  front  yard  planting. 

Illinois  to  grow  with  a  rapidity  far  greater  than  in  other  parts  of  the 
United  States.  New  England  and  New  York  are  famed  for  their  elm 
trees,  yet,  an  elm  reaches  maturity  in  Illinois  in  about  40  years,  while 
it  may  take  75  years  to  reach  the  same  degree  of  maturity  in  these 
eastern  states. 

In  planning  the  home  grounds,  it  is  well  to  avoid  the  use  of  more 
ground  for  the  lawn  than  can  be  easily  and  well  cared  for,  and  equal 
precaution  should  be  taken  in  the  selection  of  varieties  and  placing  of 
trees  and  shrubs.  The  lawn  should  be  a  place  of  pleasure  and  rest¬ 
fulness,  rather  than  one  of  neglect  and  worry.  Allowance  must  be 
made  when  planting  for  the  full  development  of  the  trees  or  the  result 
will  demand  removals,  transplantings,  or  perhaps  a  complete  re¬ 
arrangement  of  the  entire  design. 


11 


Framing  the  view  of  the  house  with  elm  trees, 


12 


Making  a  quick  planting  with  castor  beans. 


Framing  the  Landscape 

The  distance  that  the  trees  should  be  placed  from  the  buildings 
or  from  each  other  depends  to  a  certain  extent  on  the  primary  purpose 
of  the  planting.  Quite  naturally,  one  of  the  first  thoughts  in  this  con¬ 
nection  is  the  provision  of  shade,  or,  if  the  site  is  located  in  an  open 
stretch  of  country  protection  from  the  winds.  The  mature  trees 
should  partially  shade  the  buildings  without  entirely  screening  them 
from  view.  It  is  unwise  to  plant  so  densely  or  so  close  to  the  buildings 
that  the  trees  or  shrubs  keep  out  much  of  the  sunshine  and  fresh  air. 
In  order  to  make  available  all  the  light  possible  during  the  dreary 
winter  months,  therefore,  deciduous  trees  are  very  desirable  for  plant¬ 
ing  close  to  buildings  for  the  purpose  of  shade. 

To  make  a  pleasing  and  attractive  picture  the  buildings  should 
be  properly  framed  by  plantings,  the  character  and  size  of  which  will 
be  determined  more  or  less  by  the  architectural  style  of  the  structures. 
Large  buildings  may  require  a  group  of  large  trees  and  shrubs,  while 
for  a  small  house  or  a  small  lawn,  one  or  two  medium-sized  trees  and 
a  few  shrubs  are  sufficient  in  most  cases  to  make  a  beautiful  picture 
of  the  place.  Where  an  immediate  effect  is  desired  to  get  rid  of  the 
bare  look  around  a  house,  many  people  plant  rapid  growing  trees, 
with  the  intention  of  replacing  them  later,  or  interplanting,  with  more 
durable  and  permanent,  slow-growing  varieties.  The  elms,  oaks,  white 
ash,  maples,  tulip  tree,  and  many  other  trees  native  to  Illinois  will  last 
long  after  the  quick-growers  are  gone,  growing  even  more  valuable 
with  age,  so  it  is  often  wise  to  resist  the  allurement  of  quick  effect, 
save  time,  and  expense,  and  plant  for  permanence. 


13 


A  good  border  planting  with  two  poplars  for  accent. 


A  good  border  planting  of  trees,  shrubs  and  flowers.  Why  not  make 

your  street  into  a  park? 


14 


A  good  view  from,  or  to  the  house,  is  of  more  importance  than 
the  best  of  specimen  trees  planted  in  a  haphazard  manner  in  a  lawn. 
Too  often  we  are  apt  to  try  to  make  the  place  look  “different,”  and 
take  advantage  of  the  wealth  of  materials  in  the  way  of  unusual  cfr 
showy  trees,  shrubs,  and  flowers  that  are  available,  and  conclude  with 
a  mediocre  hodge-podge  sort  of  arrangement,  which  not  only  shocks 
the  eyes  but  spoils  the  views  toward  the  house.  The  dominant  note 
of  any  home  ground  is  the  house,  and  it  can  always  be  kept  so  by  the 
reservation  of  open  lawn  toward  the  best  views  from  the  porch  and 
street. 


Selection  of  Trees  for  the  Home  Grounds 

In  the  selection  of  various  kinds  of  trees  for  the  home  grounds, 
if  we  are  to  have  a  harmonious  and  simple  effect,  it  must  be  remem¬ 
bered  that  particular  trees  are  of  less  importance  than  the  general 
effect  of  the  mass,  although  the  mass  depends  upon  the  individual 
plants.  Our  aim  should  be  for  gradual  transitions  in  color  and  tex¬ 
ture  rather  than  great  contrasts.  A  contrast  may  startle  and  attract 
attention,  but  seldom  holds  it,  while  a  yard  planted  simply  and  har¬ 
moniously  is  a  “joy  forever.” 

The  selection  of  trees  should  be  based  on  the  purpose,  the  adapta¬ 
tion  of  species  to  locality,  appropriateness,  extent  of  the  grounds,  and 
the  number  of  trees  to  be  used.  Different  types  of  architecture,  and  dif¬ 
ferent  building  materials  call  for  certain  plant  materials.  We  all 
agree,  I  am  sure,  that  there  is  no  more  beautiful  plant  material  for 
use  with  stone  buildings  than  the  evergreen.  But  to  use  evergreens 
profusely  in  planting  a  small  prairie  lawn,  with  a  frame  building,  would 
be  the  height  of  ill  taste. 


A  meaningless  planting.  Yard  spoiled  with  impertinent  bushes. 


15 


There  are  two  principal  types  of  trees :  the  deciduous  and  the  ever¬ 
green.  The  deciduous  are  those  trees  whose  foliage  drops  or  dies  with 
the  approach  of  winter,  while  the  evergreen  lives  true  to  name  and 
maintains  its  foliage  throughout  the  entire  year.  In  every  instance 
hardy  or  native  plants,  which  are  of  easy  culture,  should  be  selected 


A  good  vista  with  beautiful  clouds  and  water  front  by  native  hawthorns. 


because  of  their  value  for  foliage,  winter  effect,  and  flowers.  As 
there  are  at  least  five  months  of  the  year  that  deciduous  plants  are 
without  foliage,  it  is  best  to  have  a  few  evergreens  which  will  give 
color  and  variety  and  add  materially  to  the  attractiveness  of  the  place 
the  whole  year  around. 


16 


A  beautiful  farm  yard  containing-  a  notable  collection  of  Illinois  trees 

and  shrubs. 


A  bird  garden  in  the  heart  of  the  city. 


When  evergreens  are  used  in  borders  they  should  be  massed, 
rather  than  scattered  here  and  there.  If  used  for  a  background  effect, 
select  only  those  varieties  with  good  foliage.  Certain  evergreens,  par¬ 
ticularly  the  pyramidal  type,  such  as  Arborvitae,  Cypress  and  Juniper, 
add  to  the  picturesqueness  of  the  view.  Evergreens,  as  a  rule,  do  not 


17 


do  as  well  in  Illinois  as  in  other  parts  of  the  country,  nor  do  they  har¬ 
monize  as  well  with  the  broad  lines  of  the  prairie  as  those  deciduous 
trees  which  are  native.  For  planting  close  to  buildings  and  for  shade, 
deciduous  trees  are  most  desirable.  The  soft  texture  of  their  sky-lines 
makes  them  equally  valuable  for  borders  or  backgrounds. 

When  the  buildings  appear  as  though  they  belong  to  the  place, 
fitting  quite  naturally  together  and  blending  into  the  landscape,  then 
the  trees  are  selected  and  placed  most  successfully.  The  keynote  of 
every  piece  of  gardening  should  be  simplicity  and  repose. 


A  well  made  small  park. 

Trees  Recommended  for  Planting  in  Illinois 

By  the  intensification  of  our  native  flora  instead  of  the  importa¬ 
tion  of  foreign  plants,  one  can  almost  insure  success  in  planting..  Try 
to  have,  at  least,  one-half  or  more  of  the  plant  materials  native  to 
the  state.  Illinois  has  over  200  varieties  of  trees  that  are  native 
and  which  do  idealize  Illinois  surroundings. 

The  list  of  trees  which  I  should  recommend  for  planting  in 
Illinois  are: 

Street  Trees:  American  elm,  Norway  maple,  hard  or  sugar 
maple,  white  oak,  red  oak,  burr  oak,  pin  oak,  shingle  oak,  hackberry. 

Lawn  Trees  :  Tulip  tree,  linden  or  basswood,  American  elm,  Nor¬ 
way  maple,  hard  maple,  white  birch,  Magnolia  soulangeana,  hawthorn, 
redbud,  flowering  dogwood,  pear  thorn,  prairie  crab  apple,  American 
mountain  ash. 

Evergreens:  White  fir,  Nordmann’s  fir,  white  pine,  Austrian 
pine,  arborvitae,  red  cedar,  hemlock,  Canadian  juniper. 


18 


Solving  the  rent  problem  for  birds. 

5th,  6th  and  7th,  Elmwood  Schools,  Cairo. 


19 


SUMMER  SNOWS 

3pyrea. 


20 


AT  HOME  IN  A  POCKET 

Margaret  B.  Blakeslee. 

In  June  1921  a  wren  was  noticed  dying  about  an  old  hunting 
jacket,  which  had  been  left  hanging  from  a  beam  of  our  back  porch. 
A  greater  curiosity  on  my  part  revealed  a  nest  partly  built  in  the  left 
hand  pocket.  As  we  had  been  away  previous  to  this  time  no  facts 
as  to  the  birds’  arrival  or  beginning  of  nest  building  can  be  given. 
Suffice  it  to  say  a  family  of  little  wrens  first  drew  breath  in  that  pocket 
and  were  frequently  seen  during  the  following  days  until  they  made 
their  first  venture  into  the  world  outside,  after  which  we  were  never 
able  to  identify  them  again. 

On  May  8th,  1922,  a  familiar  sight  was  seen.  A  little  wren, 
with  a  twig  in  its  mouth  was  perched  on  the  shoulder  of  the 
same  coat.  One  week  later  on  May  15th  I  witnessed  a  very  amusing 
scene; — Mrs.  Wren  was  loudly  attending  to  housecleaning,  removing 
certain  twigs  from  last  year’s  nest,  which  she  apparently  disliked, 
whilst  keeping  their  seeming  duplicates  and  Mr.  Wren  scolded  from 
the  beam  above,  “Why  do  we  have  to  have  this  house  cleaning,  this 
housecleaning,  this  housecleaning?” — to  which  question  Mrs.  Wren’s 
replies  seemed  so  reasonable  to  the  housewife  that  I  feel  it  super¬ 
fluous  to  repeat  them.  Their  troubles  ended  soon  and  their  love  mak¬ 
ing  revived  but  before  their  seven  little  raspberry  colored  eggs  were 
hatched,  the  nest  was  ruthlessly  torn  and  ransacked  and  the  night 
after  a  cat  was  seen  beneath  it.  (Anyone,  it  would  seem  will  be  par¬ 
doned  for  connecting  the  cat  with  the  catastrophe.) 

The  human  family  living  in  the  house  tried  to  console  themselves 
with  the  thought  of  other  birds,  when,  to  their  great  astonishment  a 
few  days  afterward,  the  parent  wrens  were  seen  carrying  lumber  for 
a  new  house, — this  time  to  be  built  in  the  right  pocket  of  the  coat 
which,  fortunately  for  us,  was  closer  to  the  door  of  the  house;  and, 
through  a  glass  panel  by  the  door,  we  could  watch  the  mother  bird 
sitting  on  her  nest.  She  also  cautiously  watched  us  and,  if  we  would 
proceed  promptly  to  our  business,  going  in  or  out  of  the  door,  only 
a  foot  or  two  from  her,  she  would  permit  that  amount  of  sociability 
with  little  uneasiness  on  her  part ;  but  should  we  pause  for  a  moment, 
close  by  her, — even  though  forgetful  of  her  for  that  moment — off  she 
would  fly  and  scold  us  irritably  from  nearby. 

July  25th  was  the  birthday  of  five  new  little  wrens,  whose  brief 
span  of  life  was  marked  by  peace  and  frequent  feedings.  Brief  it 
was  for  five  nights  later,  between  eight  and  ten-thirty  dates  a  second 
ransacking  of  the  nest.  No  cat  was  seen  this  time  but  our  attention 
was  drawn  to  the  sniffing  of  our  little  dog  about  a  space  on  the  porch 
below  the  pocket.  Upon  investigation,  on  our  part,  it  was  found  that 
some  twigs  and  feathers  lay  about  on  the  floor  of  the  porch — and  the 
nest  was  found  to  be  empty.  Daylight,  on  the  morrow,  revealed  the 


21 


prints  of  the  cat’s  paws  on  the  upper  beam  of  the  porch.  (To  be 
seen  in  the  photograph.)  Apparently  the  cat  had  climbed  up  a  post 
of  the  porch  to  the  roof— then  by  means  of  a  cross-beam,  from  which 
the  coat  hung,  the  nest  was  reached  four  feet  above  the  floor. 

As  the  mother-bird  never  slept  in  the  nest,  at  night, — to  our  knowl¬ 
edge — after  the  eggs  were  hatched,  we  can  not  believe  she  was  caught 
too ;  yet  we  have  never  seen  her  since.  Perhaps  her  little  heart  rather 
than  her  body  was  broken  and  she  has  gone  further  away  to  rest. 
But  the  question  which  perplexes  us,  is,  will  she  have  courage  to  come 
back  next  year,  with  only  a  silent  promise  from  us  that  a  cat-proof 
apartment  will  be  ready  for  her?  ( Nature  Study  Review ,  May ,  1923). 

THE  FLOWER 

Helen  Kent. 

In  an  ugly  old  field  a  little  boy  saw 

One  flower  of  beautiful  hue 

And  he  said  to  himself  “I  will  pick  that  flower 

So  my  Mother  can  look  at  it,  too.” 

But  he  broke  off  the  stem  and,  what  do  you  think? 

Away  a  big  butterfly  flew; 

All  the  time  he  had  thought  ’twas  a  flower  for  its  wings 

Were  such  nice,  periwinkle-y  blue! 

{Nature  Study  Review ,  April  1923 ) 


22 


WOODMAN  SPARE  THAT  TREE 

By  George  P.  Morris. 

Woodman,  spare  that  tree! 

Touch  not  a  single  bough! 

In  youth  it  sheltered  me, 

And  I’ll  protect  it  now. 

’Twas  my  forefather’s  hand 

That  placed  it  near  his  cot; 

There,  woodman,  let  it  stand — 

Thy  axe  shall  harm  it  not! 

That  old  familiar  tree, 

Whose  glory  and  renown 
Are  spread  o’er  land  and  sea — 

And  wouldst  thou  hew  it  down? 

Woodman,  forbear  thy  stroke! 

Cut  not  its  earth-bound  ties; 

Oh,  spare  that  aged  oak, 

Now  towering  to  the  skies! 

When  but  an  idle  boy, 

I  sought  its  graceful  shade; 

In  all  their  gushing  joy 

Here,  too,  my  sisters  played. 

My  mother  kissed  me  here; 

My  father  pressed  my  hand — 

Forgive  this  foolish  tear, 

But  let  that  old  oak  stand! 

My  heart-strings  round  thee  cling, 

Close  as  thy  bark,  old  friend! 

Here  shall  the  wild-bird  sing, 

And  still  thy  branches  bend. 

Old  tree!  the  storm  still  brave! 

And,  woodman,  leave  the  spot: 

While  I’ve  a  hand  to  save, 

Thy  axe  shall  harm  it  not! 

(History  of  the  Poem.) 

Mr.  Morris,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend,  dated  New  York,  February 
1,  1837,  gave  in  substance  the  following  account : 

Riding  out  of  town  a  few  days  since  in  company  with  a  friend, 
an  old  gentleman,  he  invited  me  to  turn  down  a  little,  romantic  wood¬ 
land  pass,  not  far  from  Bloomingdale.  “Your  object?”  inquired  1. 
“Merely  to  look  once  more  at  an  old  tree  planted  by  my  grandfather 
long  before  I  was  born,  under  which  I  used  to  play  when  a  boy,  and 
where  my  sisters  played  with  me.  There  I  often  listened  to  the  good 
advice  of  my  parents.  Father,  mother,  sisters — all  are  gone;  nothing 
but  the  old  tree  remains.”  And  a  paleness  overspread  his  fine  counte¬ 
nance,  and  teqrs  p^mp  to  his  pyps.  After  a  rpcmient’s  pause,  he  added ; 


23 


Shade  and  Shelter. 


4 

“Don’t  think  me  foolish.  I  don’t  know,  how  it  is :  I  never  ride  out 
but  I  turn  down  this  lane  to  look  at  that  old  tree.  I  have  a  thousand 
recollections  about  it,  and  I  always  greet  it  as  a  familiar  and  well- 
remembered  friend.”  These  words  were  scarcely  uttered  when  the  old 
gentleman  cried  out,  “There  it  is!”  Near  the  tree  stood  a  man  with 
his  coat  off,  sharpening  an  axe.  “You’re  not  going  to  cut  that  tree 
down,  surely?”  “Yes,  but  I  am,  though,”  said  the  woodman.  “What 
for?”  inquired  the  old  gentleman,  with  choked  emotion.  “What  for? 
I  like  that!  Well,  I  will  tell  you,  I  want  the  tree  for  firewood.” 
“What  is  the  tree  worth  to  you  for  firewood?”  “Why,  when  down, 
about  ten  dollars.”  “Suppose  I  should  give  you  that  sum,”  said  the 
old  gentleman,  “would  you  let  it  stand?”  “Yes.”  “You  are  sure  of 
that?”  “Positive!”  “Then  give  me  a  bond  to  that  effect.”  We  went 
into  the  little  cottage  in  which  my  companion  was  born,  but  which  is 
now  occupied  by  the  woodman.  I  drew  up  the  bond.  It  was  signed, 
and  the  money  paid  over.  As  we  left,  the  young  girl,  the  daughter 
of  the  woodman,  assured  us  that  while  she  lived  the  tree  should  not 
be  cut.  These  circumstances  made  a  strong  impression  on  my  mind, 
and  furnished  me  with  the  materials  for  the  song  I  send  you. 


u 


White  Robin. 


ROBIN  SNOWBALL 


R.  M.  Barnes. 

During  the  last  week  of  May,  1922,  a  lady  living  in  Henry,  seven 
miles  from  my  home  in  Lacon,  Illinois,  hearing  a  commotion  in  her 
yard,  glanced  out  of  the  window  and  saw  a  white  baby  robin  on  the 
lawn,  fluttering  its  little  wings  and  opening  its  mouth  at  every  bird 
that  went  near  it. 

The  little  fellow  was  too  young  to  be  able  to  fly,  apparently  very 
hungry,  and  seemingly  deserted  by  its  parents,  for  an  observation  ex¬ 
tending  over  a  considerable  time  disclosed  no  bird  paying  attention 
to  this  ghost-like  robin.  Being  of  kind  heart,  and  fearing  the  con¬ 
spicuous  plumage  of  the  helpless  youngster  would  result  in  his  destruc¬ 
tion  by  boys  or  cats,  she  took  him  into  the  house  and  put  him  in  a 
cage.  The  little  fellow  responded  to  kindness  and  feed,  becoming  very 
tame,  taking  most  of  his  sustenance  from  her  hand  and  when  big 
enough  flying  over  the  house,  following  her  from  room  to  room, 
perched  on  her  shoulder  frequently.  Later  he  was  moved  into  a  larger 
out  door  cage  and  on  July  22nd  was  given  to  me  and  brought  to  my 
home  in  Lacon.  Here  a  cage  three  feet  wide  and  four  feet  long 
and  four  feet  high  was  built  for  him,  and  placed  under  a  tree  on  the 
lawn.  During  the  summer  he  was  an  object  of  much  interest  and 
curiosity  to  visitors  and  grew  to  be  a  normal  robin  in  every  respect 
except  color,  though  for  some  reason  he  always  maintained  a  dirty 
appearance. 


25 


During  my  absence  in  August,  the  little  rascal  slipped  out  of  the 
door  of  his  cage  as  it  was  opened  to  put  in  the  feed  and,  quick  as  a 
flash,  he  was  gone.  He  remained  at  large  until  the  afternoon  of  the 
next  day,  about  thirty-six  hours,  when  he  quietly  permitted  one  of  the 
family  to  pick  him  up  and  transfer  him  again  to  his  cage  quarters  in 
which  he  appeared  thoroughly  satisfied  and  glad  to  get  back. 

About  the  1st  of  October  I  moved  the  now  adult  bird  into  the 
house  and  turned  him  loose  in  a  conservatory  with  glass  sides  and  top 
9  by  18  feet  in  which  there  are  many  dozen  plants  of  all  kinds,  and  be¬ 
gan  feeding  him  prepared  bird  food  such  as  is  found  in  the  bird  stores 
for  soft  billed  birds.  The  result  was  magical.  Robin  Snowball,  im¬ 
mediately  took  to  bathing  once  or  twice  a  day,  something  he  had 
declined  to  do  while  out  in  the  yard  except  in  very  rare  instances, 
which  without  doubt,  accounted  for  his  dirty  ill-kept  appearance.  His 
feathers  at  once  cleared  up  and  the  entire  bird  except  the  bill,  legs 
and  feet,  is  of  absolutely  snowy  whiteness.  The  eyes  are  a  perfect 
bright  pink,  rather  large  for  a  robin.  The  bill,  a  very  light  ivory,  and 
the  feet  and  legs  pinkish  white  with  light  yellow  claws.  Apparently 
this  bird  is  perfectly  normal  in  every  way  and  well  satisfied  with  his 
quarters.  It  is  very  tame,  eats  from  the  hand,  will  come  at  call,  and 
seldom,  almost  never,  ventures  out  of  the  conservatory,  though  large 
double  doors  continually  open  lead  into  the  dining  room.  He  is  very 
active  in  his  movements,  cheery  in  his  disposition.  The  first  thing  in 
the  morning  he  greets  the  first  riser  with  a  continuous  and  lengthy 
volume  of  robin  conversation.  He  does  not  appear  to  be  quite  as 
strong  or  vigorous  as  a  normally  colored  bird,  otherwise  I  can  see  no 
difference  whatever  except  his  color. 

I  have  referred  to  this  bird  as  “he,”  but  I  am  not  certain  whether 
Robin  Snowball  is  “he”  or  “she.” 

P.  S.  At  this  writing,  February  1st,  1924,  this  bird  is  apparently 
as  healthy  and  vigorous  as  ever.  He  lives  in  a  small  conservatory  nine 
by  seventeen  feet,  with  glass  sides  and  roof,  which  is  filled  with  house 
plants  of  various  kinds,  opening  from  which  there  are  double  doors 
into  our  dining  room,  and  every  time  the  little  fellow  hears  the  rattle 
of  the  dishes  and  conversation  at  meal  time,  he  promptly  flies  out  into 
the  dining  room  and  hops  around  the  table  until  somebody  feeds  him. 
He  is  very  fond  of  small  strips  of  beefsteak,  the  white  meat  of  fowl 
and  sweetened  cookies  and  mashed  potatoes,  all  of  which  he  eats  read¬ 
ily  from  our  hands  and  seems  to  have  absolutely  no  knowledge  of  what 
fear  is.  R.  M.  B. 


26 


Inglenook  Farm  Views 


27 


LIFE  SAVING  STATIONS. 

It  is  customary  to  think  of  life  saving  stations  only  on  the  shores 
of  the  ocean.  There  is,  however,  perhaps  in  a  different  sense  a  new 
type  of  life  saving  station  coming  into  use.  Tired,  worn  out  business 
men  are  purchasing  outlying  tracts  of  land  and  building  little  cottages 
out  in  the  open  as  a  sort  of  life  saver.  Some  men  seek  such  a  place 
in  order  to  save  the  lives  of  their  children.  In  Mount  Vernon,  Illinois, 
a  man  who  had  spent  thirty  years  in  close,  hard  application  in  law 
office  work,  a  man  who  was  seriously  handicapped  physically,  decided 
to  buy  an  outlying  piece  of  land  and  to  build  for  himself,  his 
wife  and  children  a  real  home.  Everyone  knows  what  money  can  do 
to  transform  a  barren  looking,  run  down  farm  into  a  place  of  beauty, 
but  it  takes  real  interest  and  loving  devotion  to  make  the  greatest  trans¬ 
formation.  A  small  expenditure  of  money  with  a  keen  and  sympa¬ 
thetic  interest  will  work  wonders.  This  gentleman  thus  transformed 
an  old  worn  out  farm  into  a  beautiful  place  to  live,  into  a  real  life  sav¬ 
ing  station.  It  is  not  only  a  home  for  him  and  his  children  to  live  in, 
but  a  rendezvous  for  all  his  friends  and  relations.  It  is  not  our  purpose 
in  this  brief  comment  to  enumerate  all  of  the  things  he  has  accom¬ 
plished.  It  is  our  purpose  here  to  name  the  trees  which  through  his 
fostering  and  kindly  care  are  growing  about  this  country  place.  There 
are  forty-eight  different  varieties.  In  them  and  around  them  during 
every  season  of  the  year  birds  of  almost  every  variety  may  be  found. 
Inglenook  Farm  is  the  name  given  to  the  place.  (See  photographs  on 
opposite  page.)  Here  are  the  names  of  the  trees: 


1. 

White  oak. 

25. 

Catalpa  Bungei. 

2. 

Post  oak. 

26. 

Black  walnut. 

3. 

Pin  oak. 

27. 

English  walnut. 

4. 

Water  oak. 

28. 

Willow  (common). 

5. 

Red  oak. 

29. 

Weeping  willow. 

6. 

Black  oak. 

30. 

Pawpaw. 

7. 

Spanish  oak. 

31. 

Service  berry. 

8. 

Willow  oak. 

32. 

Magnolia. 

9. 

Shellbark  hickory. 

33. 

Red  cedar. 

10. 

Pecan  hickory. 

34. 

Colorado  blue  spruce. 

11. 

White  hickory. 

35. 

Arbor  vitae. 

12. 

White  elm. 

36. 

Norway  spruce. 

13. 

Red  elm. 

37. 

Hackberry. 

14. 

Canoe  birch. 

38. 

Mulberry. 

15. 

Cut-leaved  weeping  birch. 

39. 

Persimmon. 

16. 

European  birch. 

40. 

Thorn  tree. 

17. 

Soft  maple. 

41. 

Black  locust. 

18. 

Hard  or  sugar  maple. 

42. 

Ash. 

19. 

Wier’s  cut-leaved  maple. 

43. 

Wild  cherry. 

20. 

Schwedlerii  maple. 

44. 

Wild  plum. 

21. 

Norway  maple. 

45. 

Basswood. 

22. 

Southern  redwood. 

46. 

Pecan. 

23. 

Tulip  poplar. 

47. 

Sycamore. 

24. 

Catalpa  speciosa. 

48. 

Russian  olive 

Snow  scene. 


TRANSFORMATION. 

Sybil  A.  Hausman. 

When  darkness  veiled  the  landscape  from  our  sight 
The  snow-flakes  came,  and  busy  through  the  night 
Fell  thick  and  fast,  a  silent  hurrying  rout, 

Until  at  dawn  we  gazed  with  wonder  out 
Where  hill  and  vale  in  shrouded  whiteness  lay, 

And  apple  orchards  shamed  the  blooms  of  May! 

The  sky  no  more  with  gray  was  clouded  o’er; 

The  sun  shone  forth  e’en  brighter  than  before. 

A  picture  fair,  a  landscape  clothed  in  white, 

A  pure,  a  spotless  universe  of  light! 


29 


NATURE  AND  ART 
Rambler  Rose. 


30 


•  ■  **?' 


31 


HISTORY  OF  ARBOR  DAY. 

The  geographies  of , fifty  years  ago  had  printed  across  the  wide 
expanse  now  known  as  the  State  of  Nebraska  the  words  “The  Great 
American  Desert”.  It  was  in  that  state  that  Arbor  Day  had  its  be¬ 
ginning.  “In  1872,  Mr.  J.  Sterling  Morton,  a  far-seeing  statesman, 
pointed  out  to  his  fellow  citizens  that  it  would  be  a  fine  thing  to  plant 
trees  over  the  great  barren  prairies.  He  suggested  that  a  certain  day 
should  be  set  apart  each  year  when  all  could  join  in  the  tree-planting. 
It  took  some  time  for  his  ideas — and  the  trees  themselves — to  take 
root.  Many  persons  scoffed  at  the  scheme  and  said  that  trees  could 
not  grow  in  Nebraska;  but  they  did,  and  gradually  “The  Great  Ameri¬ 
can  Desert”  has  been  transformed  into  a  fertile  and  prosperous  farm¬ 
ing  and  orchard  country.  The  State  Board  of  Agriculture  offered 
prizes  for  the  counties  and  persons  planting  the  largest  number  of 
trees,  and  it  is  said  that  more  than  a  million  trees  were  planted  the 
first  year,  and  that  since  that  time  more  than  eight  hundred  million 
trees  have  been  planted  in  the  State.  In  1895,  in  honor  of  Mr.  Morton 
and  his  plan,  the  State  legislature  resolved  that  Nebraska  should  be 
known  hereafter  as  the  “Tree  Planters’  State.” 

The  legislature  in  Illinois  in  an  act  approved  June  10th,  1887, 
passed  the  first  Arbor  Day  law.  This  act  provided  that  the  gov¬ 
ernor  should  annually  designate  by  official  proclamation  a  day  known 
as  “Arbor  Day”.  In  a  later  act  approved  May  16th,  1903,  the  General 
Assembly  passed  an  act  providing  that  the  governor  shall  annually 
designate  by  proclamation  “Bird  Day”.  At  a  later  time  the  legisla¬ 
ture  passed  an  act  found  in  section  271,  chapter  122  of  Smith-Hurd’s 
Illinois  Revised  Statutes  which  reads  as  follows :  “The  governor  shall, 
annually,  in  the  spring,  designate  by  official  proclamation,  a  day  or 
days  to  be  known  as  ‘Arbor  and  Bird  Day,’  to  be  observed  throughout 
the  state  as  a  day  for  planting  trees,  shrubs  and  vines  about  the  homes 
and  along  highways,  and  about  public  grounds  within  this  state,  and 
as  a  day  on  which  to  hold  appropriate  exercises  in  the  public  schools 
and  elsewhere,  tending  to  show  the  value  of  trees  and  birds  and  the 
necessity  for  their  protection.” 


32 


CONSIDER  THE  GARDEN  IN  WINTER. 

Many  people  plan  gardens  and  shrubbery  borders  so  that  some¬ 
thing  will  be  in  bloom  from  early  spring  to  late  fall,  and  having 
achieved  a  satisfying  succession  of  bloom  with  an  interesting  foliage 
background,  rest  contented  with  the  result.  And  they  have  reason  to 
feel  that  they  have  done  well,  for  it  is  no  small  achievement  to  work 
out  a  smooth  running  succession  of  blooms. 

We  would  like  to  see  a  little  more  effort  given  to  providing  for 
winter  interest,  too.  Of  all  seasons  that  need  brightening,  winter  cer¬ 
tainly  heads  the  list.  The  average  citizen  finds  little  to  enthuse  about 
in  the  winter  landscape,  except  when  snow  or  sleet  produce  extra¬ 
ordinarily  beautiful  effects. 

Instead  of  putting  the  garden  and  home  grounds  out  of  mind 
when  the  fall  covering  work  is  done,  everyone  should  give  thought  to 
the  possibilities  of  interest  in  winter.  How  many  of  us  even  glance 
at  the  exquisite  tracery  of  tree  tops  lined  against  the  sky?  Yet  at 
this  time,  more  than  any  other,  the  distinctive  individuality  of  different 
species  is  apparent.  There  is  as  much  difference  between  various  tree 
species  as  there  is  between  people,  but  because  the  trees  cannot  go 
about  with  us  or  in  other  ways  attract  like  people  or  animals  we  forget 
their  presence.  We  neglect  and  ignore  the  most  steadfast  and  unob¬ 
trusive  friends  we  have  on  earth. 

Introduce  as  many  different  types  as  you  can  find  room  for  in 
your  grounds.  Get  some  of  the  shrubs  that  have  colorful  bark  in 
winter.  By  contrast  they  make  even  the  browns  and  blacks  look  gayer. 
Place  plenty  of  bright-berried  shrubs  near  the  house.  They  are  not 
only  decorative  but  they  draw  the  cheerful,  hardy  little  winter  birds. 
Evergreens  are  indispensable  for  winter  warmth.  They  make  an  ex¬ 
cellent  background  for  the  bright  colored  berries  and  twigs,  and  when 
massed  at  strategic  points  bring  about  a  feeling  of  snugness  in  the 
home  place  where  otherwise  a  shivery  exposure  to  sweeping  winter 
winds  might  be  felt.  Is  there  too  much  cold  sky  in  view  from  your 
windows?  Do  you  see  not  only  a  bleak  foreground,  but  a  still  bleaker 
horizon?  Then  tune  up  your  imagination,  and  see  if  you  can’t  picture 
friendly  trees  etched  against  the  sky  and  horizon,  and  a  foreground 
infinitely  more  cheerful  from  the  presence  of  colorful  plants  and  birds. 
And  remember  it’s  not  so  very  many  weeks  until  spring. 


33 


Snow  and  sleet. 


34 


LARCHMOUND. 

Mrs.  Julia  Evelyn  Ridgway. 

The  winter  which  has  just  closed  was  not  very  remarkable,  ex¬ 
cept  for  the  unusual  mildness  of  the  month  of  January,  1923,  which 
was  far  more  springlike  than  March,  the  latter  being  the  most  stormy 
and  unspringlike  of  any  since  we  have  lived  in  Olney.  Like  every  other, 
however,  the  winter  has  been  more  or  less  peculiar  in  respect  to  the 
birds  which  have  or  have  not  been  with  us.  The  Killdeer,  usually  here 
all  winter,  was  entirely  absent  until  the  second  of  March.  There  were 
few  White-crowned  and  White-throated  Sparrows  and  Juncos ;  no  Fox 
Sparrows,  nor  Chewinks.  On  the  other  hand  there  were  more  Grack- 
les,  Robins  and  Doves  than  usually  winter  with  us.  Other  birds  were 
present  in  about  their  normal  numbers. 

At  this  writing,  March  22,  Doves  are  nesting;  they  and  the  Flick¬ 
ers  had  paired  by  the  seventh  of  the  month.  The  Doves  commenced 
cooing  February  18 ;  a  male  Cardinal  was  seen  feeding  a  female,  a 
sure  sign  that  they  had  paired,  on  March  11.  Bluebirds  were  inspect¬ 
ing  the  nesting  boxes  about  March  15.  The  Brown  Thrasher  came 
about  on  schedule  time,  March  16. 

While  feeding,  different  species  of  birds  present  many  peculiarities 
of  behavior  toward  one  another.  When  feeding  together  in  numbers, 
only  the  English  Sparrow  and  the  Quail  do  so  in  perfect  peace.  All 
other  kinds  quarrel  more  or  less,  especially  the  “peaceful”  Dove,  one 


— -Photo  by  J.  Evelyn  Ridgway. 

Brown  thrasher’s  nesting  place — brush  pile  covered  with  morning  glories. 


35 


of  which  will  not,  during  the  mating  season,  allow  another  of  the  same 
sex  to  feed  near  by,  persistently  chasing  it  away,  and  if  resisted,  the 
two  fighting  savagely.  But,  when  they  are  through  feeding  I  have  seen 
them  all  sitting  on  the  ground  together  in  perfect  harmony.  In  the 
case  of  the  Chickadee  (Carolina)  and  Tufted  Titmouse,  I  have  noticed, 
frequently,  that  when  an  odd  number  are  present  at  the  feeding  place, 
the  familiar  saying  “two  are  company,  three  a  crowd”  is  well  illus¬ 
trated;  the  odd  one  is  invariably  persecuted  by  the  other  two  to  such 
an  extent  that  in  order  to  obtain  any  food  it  must  do  so  after  the  others 
have  gone,  or  else  get  it  from  a  separate  and  far  removed  feeding  box. 

Excellent  nesting  and  roosting  places  for  Juncos,  Cardinals  and 
our  Mocking  Bird  are  the  dense  clumps  of  bamboos,  the  brush  piles, 
and  tangles  of  climbing  roses. 

We  have  a  very  interesting  pair  of  Tufted  Titmice;  they  are  a 
devoted  couple,  being  always  together.  They  really  dance,  hopping 
back  and  forth  on  the  walk  in  front  of  the  south  porch,  facing- 
each  other,  about  two  feet  apart,  and  singing  all  the  time.  One  of 
the  pair  also  imitates  the  notes  of  other  birds,  especially  the  chirp  of  the 
English  Sparrow,  and  the  ordinary  call-note  of  the  Chickadees.  This 
it  does  so  perfectly  that  both  Mr.  Ridgway  and  I  were  at  first  com¬ 
pletely  deceived. 

While  writing  of  the  Tufted  Titmouse  I  must  tell  of  an  incident 
which  occurred  several  years  ago.  I  have  an  old  Spanish  mission 
chair,  the  seat  and  back  being  covered  with  a  Puma  skin,  given  to 
me  by  a  Costa  Rican  friend.  It  was  on  the  porch  for  several  days.  I 
noticed  a  pair  of  Tufted  Titmice  flying  back  and  forth  past  the  win¬ 
dows.  Curious  to  know  why  they  were  acting  thus  I  went  out  to 
investigate,  and  to  my  astonishment  found  that  they  were  getting 
their  bills  full  of  the  Puma  hair,  for  nest  building  material.  As  they 
were  making  bare  spots  on  the  skin,  I  moved  the  chair  inside  the  hall. 
The  door  was  left  open,  however,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  birds  were 
as  busy  as  ever,  having  come  into  the  house  and  found  the  chair! 

A  favorite  building  material  with  many  birds  is  the  Florida  moss, 
which  we  festoon  from  the  trees,  when  we  have  it ;  also  pieces  of  old 
muslin,  torn  in  strips  about  six  inches  long  and  half  to  one  inch  wide, 
and  strips  of  soft  paper.  The  muslin  and  paper  are  put  on  bushes  and 
it  is  an  amusing  sight  to  see  the  birds  flying  with  these  strips  stream¬ 
ing  from  their  bills.  A  friend  told  me  she  put  out  hair  combings ; 
in  that  there  is  great  danger,  as  I  once  found  a  bird  whose  feet  were 
so  entangled  with  the  hair  that  it  was  perfectly  helpless. 

The  main  feeding  places  are  near  the  dining  room  windows,  from 
which  we  have  a  good  view  of  all  the  birds,  as  well  as  the  squirrels 
when  they  are  feeding.  The  windows  are  of  the  “three  in  one”  kind, 
giving  a  window  space  of  more  than  six  feet. 


36 


It  is  a  beautiful  sight  to  see,  as  we  have,  at  one  time,  twenty-two 
Doves  and  fifteen  Quail  feeding  together  under  and  near  a  large  Cor¬ 
nel  bush,  and  twenty  or  more  Cardinals  together  with  many  of  the 
smaller  birds ;  and  the  two  fat  sleek  Fox  Squirrels  eating  walnuts, 
each  from  his  own  pan;  the  Woodpeckers  (sometimes  all  five  kinds) 
extracting  bits  of  suet  from  the  holes  bored  in  the  post  supporting  one 
of  the  nut  boxes,  or  pressed  into  crevices  in  the  bark  of  the  big  elm ; 
and  Robins  eating  dried  currants,  sliced  apple  and  crumbs  of  suet.  I 
was  surprised  to  observe  that  different  Robins  prefer  different  foods; 
some  are  partial  to  dried  currants,  others  to  suet  while  others  prefer 
sliced  raw  apple,  and  one  is  very  partial  to  finely  ground  peanuts 
a  favorite  food  of  the  Flickers  also.  Little  Bewick’s  Wren,  also 
is  fond  of  suet  and  nut  crumbs.  He  has  been  with  us  all  winter 7 
but  by  the  middle  of  April,  when  the  House  Wren  arrives  will  have 
to  change  his  abode.  What  a  pity  for  there  is  simply  no  comparison 
between  the  two  birds  in  point  of  desirability.  Bewick’s  song  is  far 
sweeter,  he  is  equally  tame,  and  strictly  minds  his  own  affairs ;  while 
the  House  Wren  is  not  only  “fussy”,  but  a  destroyer  of  the  eggs  of 
other  birds.  I  have  watched  the  home  life  of  the  House  Wren  for 
a  number  of  years.  It  is  a  complicated  affair,  concerning  which  I  may 
write  some  other  time. 

Birds  have  so  many  enemies ;  Hawks,  Cats,  Screech  Owls,  snakes 
(in  summer),  gray  squirrels  and  flying  squirrels,  together  with  Blue 
Jays  and  Grackles,  which  like  the  snakes,  systematically  despoil  the 
nests  of  both  eggs  and  young.  Consequently,  we  have  to  exercise 
“eternal  vigilance”  in  order  to  give  our  birds  needed  protection. 

Meadowlarks,  Bewick’s  Wren,  Cardinals  and  Mocking  Birds  sing 
here  all  winter,  or  rather  at  any  time  during  winter.  There  are  two 
Mocking  Birds  now.  The  one  with  us  all  winter  is  much  lighter  in 
color  than  the  one  who  has  recently  come.  The  lighter  one  lost  his 
tail  feathers  during  the  winter  (as  did  two  Cardinals  and  a  Junco) 
and  for  a  time  only  the  long  white  feathers  came  in.  The  newcomer 
is  very,  very  dark ;  he  peeps  from  the  box  at  the  base  of  the  elm  tree, 
while  the  lighter  one  comes  from  the  west  side  of  the  house  and  eats 
bits  of  suet.  The  newcomer  has  to  watch  his  chance  in  eating,  for  if 
seen  by  the  other  he  invariably  chases  him  off.  Mr.  Ridgway  says  the 
dark  one  has  the  appearance  of  a  hybrid  between  a  Mockingbird  and 
a  Catbird,  the  underparts  being  quite  as  dark  a  gray  as  the  back,  while 
very  little  white  shows  in  the  wings  when  it  flies. 

As  my  bird  family  has  grown,  it  is  necessary  to  supply  more 
food,  which  unfortunately  attracts  the  undesirables  such  as  rabbits, 
white-footed  and  field  mice  at  night,  and  Blue  Jays,  Black-birds  and 
hordes  of  English  Sparrows  by  day. 

Largely  on  account  of  these  undesirables,  especially  the  ever- 
hungry  English  Sparrow,  the  quantity  of  food  consumed  is  enormous. 


3? 


— Photo  by  J.  Evelyn  Ridgway. 

Another  thrasher’s  nesting  place — shrubs  canopized  by  vine  of  the 

wild  passion  flower. 


Mr.  Ridgway  buys  chick  and  scratch  feed  by  the  hundred  pound  bag 
and  little  raw  Spanish  peanut  meats,  twenty-five  pounds  at  a  time. 
Suet  and  sun  flower  seed  in  proportion.  My  grocer  gave  me  a  carton 
holding  thirty-six  boxes  of  dried  currants,  which  had  become  slightly 
wormy,  but  enough  to  prevent  the  sale  of  them.  Robins  like  them  very 
much.  When  the  ground  was  frozen,  it  was  impossible  for  them  to 
get  their  natural  food  and  the  currants  proved  an  apparently  satis¬ 
factory  substitute. 

Last  fall,  after  the  leaves  had  fallen  from  most  of  the  trees  and 
shrubs,  Mr.  Ridgway  made  a  count  of  the  nests  of  the  season  on  the 
north  portion  of  our  grounds  only,  that  is,  from  the  open  field  south 
of  the  house  to  the  northern  end  of  the  premises ;  an  area  of  about 
three  acres.  The  count  did  not — in  fact  could  not  include  many  nests 
hidden  in  the  dense  foliage  of  numerous  large  coniferous  evergreens 
and  in  the  tangle  of  climbing  roses  covering  the  enclosing  fence.  Sev¬ 
eral  additional  nests  were  found  later,  when  certain  shrubs  that  held 
their  foliage  until  late  in  the  season  became  bare,  and  a  few  but  by  no 
means  all  of  them  have  been  added  to  the  original  list.  The.  total  num¬ 
ber  of  nests  which  were  occupied  during  the  season  of  1922,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  count,  is  one  hundred  and  seventeen,  the  species,  and  the 
number  of  nests  of  each,  being  as  follows :  Robin  26,  Dove  20,  Brown 
Thrasher  18,  Catbird  18,  House  Wren  12,  Chipping  Sparrow  6,  Cardi¬ 
nal  6,  Flicker  3,  Red-bellied  Woodpecker  1,  Bob-white  1,  Indigo  Bird 
1,  Great-crested  Flycatcher  1,  Orchard  Oriole  1,  Wood  Pewee  1,  Red¬ 
headed  Woodpecker  1,  Blue-bird  1. 


38 


Besides  the  species  named  above,  Mr.  Ridgway  says  he  is  posi¬ 
tive  the  following  nested  on  our  grounds ;  although  we  had  not  been 
able  to  discover  their  nests;  Killdeer  (in  the  open  field),  Wood  Pewee, 
Blue  Jay,  Meadowlark,  Field  Sparrow,  Yellow  Warbler,  Maryland 
Yellow-throat.  He  had  good  reason  for  believing  the  following  also 
nested  on  the  premises;  Green  Heron  (seen  daily  flying  between  our 
little  piece  of  woods  and  a  pond  nearby),  Screech  Owl,  Yellow-billed 
Cuckoo,  Downy  Woodpecker,  Hairy  Woodpecker,  Humming  Bird, 
Goldfinch,  Cedarbird,  Red-eyed  Vireo,  Tufted  Titmouse,  and  Carolina 
Chickadee.  All  the  above  have  nested  here  in  previous  years,  also 
the  Baltimore  Oriole,  Bewick’s  Wren,  Chimney  Swift  (in  a  chimney 
of  our  house),  Alder  Flycatcher  (one  season  only),  Cowbird,  Towhee, 
and  Bronzed  Grackle  (each  spring  Mr.  Ridgway  declares  war  on  this 
species,  to  prevent  its  nesting  here,  but  a  pair  or  two  manages  to  out¬ 
wit  him). 

The  first  summer  we  lived  here,  the  only  birds  to  be  seen  or  heard 
on  the  eight  acres  were  Crows,  Blackbirds  (Bronzed  Grackles),  Blue 
Jays,  and  English  Sparrows,  and  a  vigorous  warfare  against  them 
was  necessary  before  other  birds  could  get  a  foothold. 

Our  seven  years’  experience  on  “Larchmound”  has  impressed  us 
with  the  great  importance  of  water  as  a  means  of  attracting  birds. 
Food  they  can  easily  find  in  abundance  during  the  warmer  months ; 
but  often  water,  unless  provided  for  them,  they  can  only  find  by  flying 
a  considerable  distance;  and  water  to  drink  and  bathe  in  is  not  merely 
a  luxury  to  them  but  an  absolute  necessity. 

“If  I  can  stop  one  heart  from  breaking, 

I  shall  not  live  in  vain; 

If  I  can  ease  one  life  the  aching, 

Or  cool  one  pain, 

Or  help  one  fainting  Robin 
Into  his  nest  again, 

I  shall  not  live  in  vain.” 


39 


“HOUSES  TO  LET.” 

5th,  6th  and  7th  Grades,  Douglas  School,  Cairo. 

WEATHER  WORRY  TURNS  ROBIN  GRAY. 

One  of  Springfield’s  bird  lovers,  Clarence  J.  Root,  saw  a  very  pe¬ 
culiar  robin  on  West  Canedy  street.  About  one-third  of  the  back 
was  splotched  with  white  and  fully  four-fifths  of  the  breast  was 
white,  just  a  little  red  appearing  here  and  there.  The  eyes  were 
not  pink  as  in  albinos,  but  the  eyes  and  beak  were  normal  in  color. 
Mr.  Root  has  seen  robins  before  with  a  little  white  color,  but  never 
to  such  an  extent  as  in  this  last  one. 


40 


ENCOURAGING  THE  BIRDS  TO  “KEEP  HOUSE. 
5th,  6th  and  7th  Grades,  Lincoln  School,  Cairo. 


41 


HOMES  FOR  THE  “NEWLYWEDS. 
Colfax  Public  Schools. 


42 


BALLAD  OF  THE  SNOW. 

Written  at  Hood  River,  Oregon,  in  1911,  by  Rebecca  H.  Kauffman. 

Snow  had  fallen  for  thirty  hours,  and  lay  thirty-three  inches  deep 
in  a  calm  level  along  the  mouth  of  the  Hood  River  where  it  flows  into 
the  Columbia,  while  farther  up  the  river  in  the  Upper  Hood  River 
Valley  the  big  snowflakes  piled  themselves  up  to  the  depth  of  five 
feet.  The  snow  had  come  down  in  such  a  quiet,  gentle,  effective  man¬ 
ner,  just  as  the  rain,  too,  does  along  the  Pacific  Coast,  attending  strictly 
to  its  own  business.  We  were  literally  and  truly  “snow-bound”,  as  the 
trains  of  the  C.  W.  R.  &  N.  Co.  were  stalled  at  various  places  along 
the  tracks  between  The  Dalles  to  the  east  and  Cascades  Locks  to  the 
west,  and  one  big  engine  had  run  off  the  rails  in  front  of  the  Hood 
River  station.  The  mercury  dropped  to  zero,  though  it  did  not  stay 
at  that  point  long.  The  sun  rose  on  Sunday  morning,  after  the  snow 
had  ceased  falling,  upon  one  of  the  most  beautiful,  brilliant  pearly- 
white  landscapes  it  has  ever  been  the  lot  of  mortals  to  see ! 

I  am  only  a  tiny  snowstar 

Down  from  the  blue  above, 

X  and  my  mates  aerial, 

Fluttering  like  Noah’s  dove. 

We  drop  to  the  earth  to  rest, 

I  and  my  mates  so  white, 

And  lightly,  softly,  smoothly, 

We  cover  it  deep  and  bright. 

Warm  shines  the  sun  on  our  crystals. 

Gay  sparkles  our  faces  with  light; 

Warm  blows  the  Chinook  over  us, — 

We  melt  away  in  the  night! 

Into  the  soft  earth’s  embraces 
We  sink  for  a  space  awhile, 

But  rise  again,  like  Phoenix,  immortal, 

"  Out  of  our  own  funeral  pile! 

Resurgam!  Behold  me  again, 

Me  and  my  mates  as  we  grow 
Into  tree,  bud,  blossom,  fruit!  — 

Welcome!  yes,  welcome,  the  snow! 


THE  TREE. 


Spared  through  the  years  from  woodman’s  careless  hand; 

Anchored  by  roots  that  reach  the  depths  below; 
Buffeted  by  the  storms  that  sweep  the  land; 

Braving  the  summer’s  heat  and  winter’s  snow; 

Here,  all  alone,  you  stand,  oh  noble  tree, 

Relic  of  virgin  wood  that  used  to  be. 

High  in  your  crest,  safe  from  the  hunter’s  sight, 

The  squirrel  sleeps  through  the  lazy  hour  of  noon; 
While,  from  its  depths,  is  heard  throughout  the  night, 
The  owl’s  weird  cry,  beneath  the  harvest  moon; 

Each  thankful  for  your  shade,  and  each,  like  you. 

Native  of  virgin  wood,  which  once  you  knew. 


43 


A  pair  of  fine  elms. 


FRIENDS. 

John  Kendrick  Bangs. 

May  I  be  friends  to  all  the  trees; 

To  birds,  and  blossoms  and  the  bees; 

To  things  that  creep,  and  things  that  hide 
Through  all  the  teeming  countryside; 

On  terms  with  all  the  stars  at  night, 

With  all  their  playful  beams  of  light; 

In  love  with  leafy  dales  and  hills, 

And  with  the  laughing  mountain  rills; 

With  summer  skies,  and  winter  snows; 

With  every  kind  of  breeze  that  blows; 

The  wide  sea,  and  the  stretching  plain, 

The  tempest,  and  the  falling  rain — 

If  I  were  thus  what  need  had  I 

To  fear  Death’s  solemn  mystery 
That  takes  me  from  the  world’s  alarms 
And  lays  me  in  earth’s  loving  arms? 

(Qopnecticut  School  Document  No.  2,  1923) 


44 


Safford  School.  Cairo. 


45 


Hope  springs  eternal  in  the  fisherman's  breast. 


46 


Living  Decorations 


4? 


THE  OAK  IN  BLOSSOM. 


White  Oak. 


48 


ROADSIDE  PLANTING. 

Charles  Lathrop  Pack. 

Roadside  planting  is  one  of  the  most  important  phases  of  shade 
tree  development.  The  highways  of  America  are  the  great  arteries 
of  the  nation.  With  the  universal  use  of  the  automobile,  this  is  true 
in  a  sense  previously  undreamed.  The  value  of  the  tree-lined  country 
thoroughfare  to  the  adjacent  property  is  as  direct  as  that  of  the  shaded 
street  in  town  or  city.  The  charm  of  the  trees  will  attract  where  the 
barren  roadside  would  repel.  There  are  roads  in  New  Jersey,  New 
York,  Connecticut  and  elsewhere,  for  the  enjoyment  of  which  tourists 
will  go  many  miles  out  of  their  way,  to  the  increased  prosperity  of  the 
surrounding  neighborhoods.  Thousands  of  permanent  residents  have 
been  attracted  to  Pasadena,  San  Mateo,  and  other  places  in  California, 
to  some  of  the  famous  resorts  of  Florida  and  the  Carolinas,  and  to 
summer  places  in  New  England,  Michigan  and  Wisconsin,  by  the 
hire  of  shade  tree  splendor.  Costly  homes  and  extensive  improvements 
have  been  established  along  the  inviting  highways  in  and  near  these 
communities,  with  the  inevitable  result  that  all  property  values  have 
been  increased  to  an  amazing  extent ;  and  largely  because  the  charm 
of  the  trees  proved  irresistible  to  visitors  from  other  places. 

Every  community  may  not  be  suited  for  a  resort,  but  none  can 
afford  to  overlook  the  value  of  shade  trees.  The  highway  without 
trees  is  merely  a  means  to  an  end.  It  is  used  simply  because  it  leads 
somewhere.  The  road  which  has  its  lines  of  stately  trees  carries  a 
charm  peculiarly  its  own,  and  is  sought  because  of  its  beauty  and  at¬ 
tractiveness.  Many  communities  have  already  awakened  to  this  truth, 
and  have  shown  a  determination  to  let  no  other  community  outdo  them 
in  offering  the  shade  tree  invitation  to  the  world-at-large  to  come  and 
enjoy  the  beauties  and  the  restfulness  of  their  highways.  Such  de¬ 
velopment  cannot  fail  to  be  attended  by  an  increase  in  property  values, 
and  it  has  an  additional  value  through  the  greater  comfort  and  en¬ 
joyment  afforded  the  residents  of  a  neighborhood  by  the  conversion  of 
plain  and  unlovely  country  roads  into  driveways  of  impressive  charm 

and  loveliness. 

-  — 

“Trees  as  Good  Citizens.” 


AN  ARBOR  DAY  TREE. 

Dear  little  tree  that  we  plant  today, 

What  will  you  be  when  we’re  old  and  gray? 

“The  savings  hank  of  the  squirrel  and  mouse, 

For  robin  and  wren  an  apartment  house, 

The  dressing  room  of  the  butterfly’s  ball, 

The  locust  and  katydid’s  concert  hall. 

The  school  boy’s  ladder  in  pleasant  June, 

The  school  girl’s  tent  in  the  July  noon. 

And  my  leaves  shall  whisper  them  merrily 
A  tale  of  the  children  who  planted  me.” 

— Youth's  Companion. 


49 


Winter  and  Summer  Clothes. 
Dwarf  Elm. 


50 


Thornapple 


51 


J 

VIOLETS 

By  Lucy  Laecom. 


They  neither  toil  nor  spin; 

And  yet  their  robes  have  won 

A  splendor  never  seen  within 
The  courts  of  Solomon. 

Tints  that  the  cloud-rifts  hold, 

And  rainbow-gossamer, 

The  violet’s  tender  form  enfold; 

No  queen  is  draped  like  her. 

All  heaven  and  earth  and  sea 

Have  wrought  with  subtlest  power, 

That  clothed  in  purple  she  might  be — 
This  little  fading  flower. 

We,  who  must  toil  and  spin, 

What  clothing  shall  we  wear? 

The  glorious  raiment  we  shall  win, 

Life  shapes  us,  everywhere. 

God’s  inner  heaven  hath  suft, 

And  rain,  and  space  of  sky, 

Where  through  for  us  his  spindles  run, 
His  mighty  shuttles  fly. 

His  seamless  vesture  white 
He  wraps  our  spirits  in; 

He  weaves  his  finest  webs  of  light 
For  us,  who  toil  and  spin. 


By  permission  of  the  publishers,  Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co. 


FOUR-LEAF  CLOVER 

By  Ella  Higginson. 

I  know  a  place  where  the  sun  is  like  gold, 

And  the  cherry  blooms  burst  with  snow, 

And  down  underneath  is  the  loveliest  nook, 

Where  the  four-leaf  clovers  grow. 

One  leaf  is  for  hope,  and  one  is  for  faith, 

And  one  is  for  love,  you  know, 

And  God  put  another  one  in  for  luck — 

If  you  search  you  will  find  where  they  grow. 

.,  .  «r 

But  you  must  have  hope,  and  you  must  have  faith, 
You  must  love  and  be  strong — and  so — 

If  you  work,  if  you  wait,  you  will  find  the  place 
Where  the  four-leaf  clovers  grow. 


52 


YANKEE  TREES  IN  FRANCE 

San  Francisco  Chronicle. 

No  futile  wreaths  that  fade  and  die, 

Whose  life  is  but  a  day, 

Can  truly  honor  those  who  lie 
So  many  leagues  away; 

Nor  fainting  blossoms  represent 

The  hope,  the  strength,  the  urge 
Of  Youth  incarnate— why,  it  sent 
Them,  laughing,  to  the  verge. 

For  those  who  perished  overseas, 

Our  glorious  host  that  lies 
In  France,  let  hosts  of  living  trees 
Gloriously  arise; 

Rise  where  charred  limbs  of  older  trees, 

Flung  mute  against  the  sky. 

To  countless  wanton  cruelties 
In  silence  testify. 

And  at  some  distant  future  day 

When  we,  who  mourn  them  now, 

Because  they  died — the  selfsame  way 
Have  followed  them,  oh  how 
Shall  we  deserve  so  fine  a  thing 
For  our  memorial, 

As  trees  lit  with  the  green  of  spring, 

Or  scarlet  fires  at  fall? 

(The  Forest  Poetic,  1924  Edition) 


THE  BROTHERHOOD  OF  THE  FOREST 

Douglas  Malloc. 

I  love  the  man  who  loves  the  wood, 
Whate’er  his  creed,  whate’er  his  blood. 

I  may  not  know  his  native  land; 

His  creed  I  may  not  understand; 

But,  when  we  meet  within  the  wood, 

There  each  is  silent — understood. 

We  worship  them  at  selfsame  shrine; 

We  see  the  same  celestial  shine 
On  lustrous  leaf,  on  petaled  flower; 

We  feel  the  selfsame  grace  and  power; 

Yea,  walking  on  the  selfsame  sod, 

We  worship  both  the  selfsame  God. 

I  give  who  loves  the  wood  my  hands, 

For  here  is  one  who  understands; 

Who  loves  the  wood  I  give  my  heart, 

For  there  responsive  echoes  start; 

We  meet  in  this  sweet  brotherhood — 

We  meet  as  Brothers  of  the  Wood. 


(The  Forest  Poetic,  1924  Edition) 


53 


After  the  Storm 


54 


SPRING  IN  THE  VALLEY 

Mary  Austin. 


When  the  catkin’s  on  the  willow 
And  the  tassel  on  the  birch, 

The  wild  bees  from  the  hiving  rocks 
Begin  their  honey  search. 

Brown  wings  among  the  browner  grass 
And  breast  all  brightening  yellow— 

Pipes  up  from  meadows  as  we  pass 
The  lark’s  call,  clear  and  mellow; 

Now  wakes  the  burnished  dragonfly 
Beside  the  glinting  river, 

That  shakes  with  silent  laughter  where 
The  iris  banners  quiver; 

Now  on  the  budding  poplar  boughs 
The  tuneful  blackbirds  perch; 

For  the  catkin’s  on  the  willow 
And  the  tassel  on  the  birch. 

Now  stalks  the  solemn  crow  behind 
The  farmer  in  the  furrow; 

The  downey  owl  comes  out  at  dusk 
And  hoots  beside  his  burrow. 

Now  blows  a  balmy  breath  at  morn 
To  call  men  to  the  sowing; 

Now  all  the  water  ways  are  full, 

And  all  the  pastures  growing; 

Now  truant  anglers  drop  a  line 
To  catfish  and  to  perch: 

For  the  catkin's  on  the  willow 
And  the  tassel  on  the  birch. 

(Connecticut  School  Document  No.  2,  1923.) 


THE  FOREST  TROUBADOUR 

Henry  C.  Pitz. 

Down  in  the  heart  of  the  greenwood,  beside  the  dim  lakeshore 
Is  the  trysting-place  of  the  forest  folk,  and  the  forest  troubadour. 

There,  when  the  blue  dusk  deepens,  and  the  stars  wheel  on  through  space, 
The  birds  and  the  beasts  and  the  forest  folk  creep  to  the  trysting-place. 
Then  the  greenwood  piper,  who  comes,  when  the  day  is  done, 

From  the  rim  of  the  furthermost  valley,  where  the  sunset  gold  is  spun. 
Plays,  as  the  wood  aisles  darken,  a  haunting,  witchlike  air, 

Till  even  the  hawk  is  gentled  and  the  gray  wolf  leaves  his  lair. 

So  bird  and  beast  and  forest  child  listen  in  silent  awe, 

Forget  their  former  enmity,  forget  the  jungle  law. 

Then  fairy  bows  to  goblin,  and  toads  creep  from  the  rocks, 

And  even  the  timid  forest  hares  hobnob  with  the  red-tailed  fox. 

And  any  venturesome  human  who  finds  the  trysting-place, 

And  hear  the  piper’s  music,  is  given  heart  of  grace 
To  understand  the  greenwood  speech  and  to  follow,  unafraid, 

The  darkest  trail  of  the  forest  heart  and  the  wildest  woodland  glade. 


(The  Forest  Poetic,  1924  Edition) 


55 


Black  Hawk 


56 


THE  CHILDREN’S  HIGHWAY  AND  THE  FOX 

RIVER  TRAIL 

OsiIER  ScHLAIFER. 

A  lingering  memory  of  two  beautiful  and  world  renowned  boule¬ 
vards,  The  Champs  Elysees  and  Unter  den  Linden  leaped  into  the 
foreground  of  the  consciousness  of  the  writer  as  he  was  making  his 
way  slowly,  painfully  slowly,  in  his  newly  acquired  Dodge  Sedan,  along 
the  Fox  River  Trail.  The  natural  beauty,  the  artistic  possibilities,  the 
unparalleled  juxta  position  of  hill,  dale,  valley  and  glimmering  of  blue 
water  of  the  Fox  River  skirting  the  trail  caught  and  held  the  imagina¬ 
tion.  There  was  a  challenge  to  reproduce  in  this  valley  on  an  even 
larger  scale  and  more  magnificent  proportions  the  landscape  beauty 
of  those  two  wonderful  promenades  that  have  captivated  and  held  the 
admiration  of  the  world,  for  centuries. 

What  a  glorious  opportunity  to  make  this  the  heritage  of  the  chil¬ 
dren  along  the  Fox  River  Trail.  What  unparalleled  opportunity  to 
develop  the  appreciation  of  natural  beauty  and  landscape  artistry 
among  the  visting  generation  by  enlisting  their  ardor  and  youthful 
enthusiasm  for  this  matchless  and  challenging  undertaking.  What  a 
rare  chance  to  present  in  a  concrete  way  to  the  nineteen  thousand 
children  along  the  Fox  River  Trail  the  rare  landscape  artistry  of  this 
beautiful  trail  and  to  enlist  their  youthful  enthusiasm  to  make  this 
truly  wonderful  valley  one  of  the  most  beautiful  boulevards  in  the 
United  States. 

The  Superintendents’  and  Principals’  Association  of  Kane  County 
listened  respectfully  to  the  report  of  the  dreamer  and  the  visionary, 
and  took  up  with  enthusiasm  the  plan  to  enlist  the  effort  of  the  nine¬ 
teen  thousand  children  along  the  Fox  River  Trail  to  make  this  dream 
a  reality ;  to  create  a  boulevard  whose  fame  and  beauty  and  art  would 
be  sung  all  over  the  land. 

The  services  of  the  most  renowned  landscape  architect,  Mr.  O.  C. 
Simonds,  of  Chicago,  were  secured.  The  whole  trail  was  gone  over 
on  foot  and  most  carefully  studied  with  a  view  to  developing  its  best 
artistic  possibilities.  In  planning  the  planting  for  the  Fox  River  Trail 
or  the  “Children’s  Highway”  the  following  landscape  gardening  ideals 
were  had  in  mind : 

First:  The  preservation  of  the  views  of  the  Fox  River  and  its 
charming  valleys  and  the  framing  of  these  views  by  appropriate  trees 
and  shrubs. 

Second :  The  preservation  of  the  existing  growth  of  trees  and 
bushes  by  grouping  the  additional  planting  so  that  it  will  harmonize 
with  the  present  trees  that  are  of  value  either  for  shade  or  beauty. 
It  has  been  our  wish  generally  to  arrange  new  planting  in  irregular 
groups  rather  than  in  rows,  since  groups  of  this  character  allow  many 
different  species  to  be  used  and  give  generally  more  varied  and  beauti¬ 
ful  effects  than  continuous  rows.  In  some  places,  however,  on  account 
of  the  limited  area  for  planting,  it  will  be  necessary  to  plant  in  rows, 
but  often  in  such  cases  a  variation  in  spacing  is  advisable  to  preserve 
views  or  to  make  a  more  satisfactory  composition  of  scenery. 


5? 


Moon  River,  Bala,  Canada. 


Deer  Lodge,  near  Bala,  Canada. 

HEALTH  AND  HAPPINESS  IN  NORTHERN  HAUNTS 


58 


A  LESSON  UNDER  THE  TREES 


59 


Third:  To  create  by  the  proposed  planting  a  beautiful  harmon¬ 
ious  work  of  art.  What  one  sees  as  he  passes  along  a  highway  should 
be  a  series  of  pictures  as  beautiful  as  those  to  be  found  in  any  art 
gallery  pictures  formed  by  a  combination  of  foliage,  trunks  of  trees, 
buildings,  hills,  valleys,  water,  clouds,  sky  and  the  various  forms  of 
life  to  be  found  in  city  and  country.  In  passing  through  the  country 
one  occasionally  finds  a  bit  of  road  that  is  perfectly  charming  because 
of  the  woods  on  either  side,  a  view  of  a  lake  or  a  distant  hill.  One 
would  like  to  photograph  such  delightful  effects.  The  aim  in  design¬ 
ing  the  planting  for  a  highway  is  to  give  this  charm  to  all  of  it,  to 
make  it  all  interesting  and  beautiful. 

To  carry  out  the  plan  nearly  nineteen  thousand  shrubs  and  one 
thousand  trees  will  be  required.  The  planting  will  be  done  by  the 
children.  Each  superintendent  and  principal  along  the  Fox  River  Trail 
is  to  appoint  one  adult  citizen  for  each  ten  high  school  boys  to  super¬ 
vise  the  planting  of  the  trees  and  shrubs.  These  adult  citizens  will 
meet  with  Mr.  Simonds  or  his  representative  a  day  or  two  before  the 
planting  and  get  the  exact  program  of  planting  for  each  town,  then 
these  men  will  set  the  stakes  and  get  all  in  readiness  for  the  planting. 

As  soon  as  the  shrubbery  comes  each  high  school  will  dismiss 
some  of  its  boys  and  get  the  planting  started.  All  the  planting  is  to  be 
done  before  the  day  of  the  grand  celebration.  The  program  is  to  have 
a  huge  parade  on  the  final  day  of  planting.  The  parade  is  to  consist 
mostly  of  automobiles.  Each  superintendent  and  principal  is  to  ask 
different  organizations  in  his  own  town  to  furnish  enough  automobiles 
to  carry  all  the  children,  and  these  autos  are  to  start  north  from  each 
town  at  1 :30  in  the  afternoon  from  Montgomery,  through  Aurora, 
North  Aurora,  Batavia,  Mooseheart,  Geneva,  St.  Charles,  South  Elgin, 
Elgin,  Dundee,  Carpentersville,  and  Algonquin.  All  the  automobiles 
will  start  at  the  same  time  going  north  to  Algonquin,  back  to  Aurora  and 
then  North  again  to  their  starting  point.  Thus  each  town  will  make  the 
complete  circuit  and  it  will  be  an  almost  continuous  parade  from  Au¬ 
rora  to  Algonquin.  Each  owner  of  an  automobile  will  be  expected  to 
decorate  it.  The  schools  will  make  banners,  one  for  each  fourth 
or  fifth  machine — with  the  inscription  “The  Children's  Highway”. 

In  addition  to  these  automobiles  there  is  expected  to  be  one  float 
from  each  high  school  and  one  float  from  each  city  grade  school  sys¬ 
tem.  These  floats  will  be  on  trucks.  Bands  from  East  Aurora  High 
School,  West  Aurora  High  school,  Mooseheart  High  School,  and  from 
any  other  place  that  can  be  gotten  are  expected  to  be  in  the  parade  in 
addition  to  the  autos  and  floats.  It  is  expected  to  make  the  organization 
a  memorable  one  in  the  lives  of  the  nineteen  thousand  children  along 
the  Fox  River  Trail.  It  is  hoped  that  they  will  thus  conceive  a  spirit  of 
ownership  in  it  and  be  encouraged  to  care  for  it  in  the  years  to  come. 

The  sponsors  of  the  movement  are  expected  to  raise  about  fifteen 
thousand  dollars  by  the  middle  of  March  and  the  planting  will  take 
place  the  first  part  of  April.  This  is  the  genesis  and  life  history  of  a 
cjream,  yet  to  be  realized,  but  sure  to  come  trpe. 


60 


fm&m 


: 


a 

>?,V: 

%  *’• 

- ■  ;  ■ 

,*®f  »>  . 


r#%$i 


.-  &  > 
>  *, 

...  .  ‘  .••.  • 


mii 


One  of  Mr.  Smithkow’s  Bluebird  Boxes. 
A  robin’s  nest  appears  in  the  crotch  below. 
Taken  near  North  Amherst,  Ohio. 


Dawson’s  “Birds 


of  Ohio” — Courtesy  Ohio  Library  Company. 


61 


Youth  and  Loveliness. 


THE  GLORY  OF  THE  WOODS 

By  Susan  Fenimore  Cooper. 

Of  the  infinite  variety  of  fruits  which  spring  from  the  bosom  of 
the  earth,  the  trees  of  the  wood  are  greatest  in  dignity.  Of  all  the 
works  of  the  creation  which  know  the  changes  of  life  and  death,  the 
trees  of  the  forest  have  the  longest  existence.  Of  all  the  objects 
which  crown  the  gray  earth,  the  woods  preserve  unchanged  through¬ 
out  the  greatest  reach  of  time,  their  native  character.  The  works  of 
man  are  ever  varying  their  aspect ;  his  towns  and  his  fields  alike 
reflect  the  unstable  opinions,  the  fickle  wills  and  fancies  of  each,  pass¬ 
ing  generation ;  but  the  forests  on  his  borders  remain  to-day  the  same 
as  they  were  ages  of  years  since.  Old  as  the  everlasting  hills,  during 
thousands  of  seasons  they  have  put  forth  and  laid  down  their  verdure 
in  calm  obedience  to  the  decree  which  first  bade  them  cover  the  ruins 
of  the  Deluge. 


Py  permission  of  the  Baker  and  Taylor  Company,  N.  Y. 


62 


THE  SONG  OF  THE  WHIP-POOR-WILL 

As  the  world  sinks  to  rest 
And  the  still-glowing  west 

Marks  the  daylight’s  reluctant  retreat. 

From  a  wood  o’er  the  way, 

Where  the  deep  shadows  lay, 

Comes  a  melody  mournfully  sweet. 

The  gleam  from  afar 
Of  the  soft  evening  star 

Carries  surcease  from  travail  and  pain, 

While  the  care-burdened  mind 
Leaves  its  worries  behind 

In  the  whip-poor-will’s  plaintive  refrain. 

Hoosier  Pat 


TREES 

Rt.  Rev.  James  H.  Darling  to  a. 

O,  a  tree  is  a  psalm  of  beauty;  yes  a  tree  is  a  green-leaved  prayer, 

A  tree  is  a  benediction,  from  those  who  planted  it  there; 

When  you  pause  by  the  roadside  weary,  and  rest  beneath  its  shade, 

Say  a  prayer  yourself  for  the  kindly  heart  that  this  provision  made. 

There  are  trees  far  off  in  the  wildwood,  sprung  from  a  seed  wind-sown 
And  the  winds  today  are  glad  because  the  earlier  winds  have  blown. 

The  birds  which  carol  sweetly  are  but  trying  to  sing  in  glee 
Their  thanks  to  other  birds  that  help’t  to  build  some  forest  tree. 

That  chatter  you  hear  is  a  squirrel’s  call,  who  wishes  to  let  you  know 
His  gratitude  to  his  ancestors  who  planted  the  acorn  to  grow. 

So  now,  O  man,  you  are  rebuked  by  squirrel,  bird  and  breeze, 

Unless  yoq  also  bury  seeds  and  bless  the  world  with  trees. 

(The  Forest  Poetic,  1924  Edition) 


63 


Breakfast  is  served 


64 


Home-grown  complexions 


